Parramatta, NSW
14.5 km (1.5 hrs )
★★★☆☆

With the opening of the Parramatta Light Rail (stage 1) in December 2024 came the opening of the new Active Transport Link (shared walking and bike riding path) between Carlingford and Parramatta. This 5.7 km route is adjacent to the railway, with numerous entry and exit points along the way. There is also the option to connect to the Parramatta Cycleway and head out to Sydney Olympic Park along the Parramatta River. The NSW government is planning to eventually connect Parramatta to the Sydney CBD via the Parramatta to Sydney Foreshore Link (The Link) - a 91 km shared path along the Parramatta River. Now that will make for an interesting ride!

I began my ride by catching the light rail to Carlingford. With trams every 10 minutes from Parramatta, the journey was quick and easy, with special bike storage spaces available on the tram. Carlingford light rail station has toilets and filtered water, as does Telopea station. The shared path is divided and easy to ride, being mostly level or downhill from Carlingford. From Tramway Avenue in Parramatta, I joined the Duck River Cycleway to head home. It was a great morning's ride on a beautiful sunny day.